FC Video Intro Cinematic?

[KazuhLLL]

I think we could use a intro cinematic/sequence/animation/whatever for official FC gameplays/promotional videos. In my opinion, it makes Youtube videos seem much more official and professional and whatnot. Anyway, I whipped up one after about an hour playing around with Cinema 4D (which I'm still learning how to use) and I was wondering if there was any interest in having one for FC. If so, I could attempt to make a (hopefully) significantly better one once I actually learn how C4D works.

Cinematic/Sequence/Animation/Whatever:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NZ2Jyrd4iA

[Mythonian]

I know that Bazonga was working on one before and went through a couple drafts. (for some of the Reach videos you could see it used)

I'm definitely interested in one, though. :)

[bazongaman502]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzLlEJtG2I

That was the intro myself and a few other were using for the Reach videos... I made in in Cinema 4D as well >.< lol

[Coda]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWzLlEJtG2I

That was the intro myself and a few other were using for the Reach videos... I made in in Cinema 4D as well >.< lol

Yeah, I've seen that one :) It could be cool if we had a new one for Halo 4. Is that program free?

[KazuhLLL]

That was the intro myself and a few other were using for the Reach videos... I made in in Cinema 4D as well >.< lol
I wasn't very active with FC once Reach came out, so that's why I'd never seen it. C4D is an awesome program, but my computer can't handle it well at all. Because of the lighting in mine, it took 4.5 hours to render my 5-second clip xD



Yeah, I've seen that one :) It could be cool if we had a new one for Halo 4. Is that program free?
Maxon actually has a fully functional free student version if you're in college. I am, but I may have hypothetically acquired it elsewhere because I didn't know until I had already gotten it lol.



I know that Bazonga was working on one before and went through a couple drafts. (for some of the Reach videos you could see it used)

I'm definitely interested in one, though. :)
Alrighty, to the drawing board! It may take me a while to learn the ins and outs of C4D, but once I get more used to it I'll start posting drafts in this thread, asking for feedback on changes/additions (unless there's a better place I should post them?).

[bazongaman502]

Is that program free?

depends :P

http://www.novedge.com/products/4088?AFTK=FRGL&gclid=CKb-5e37_rMCFSTZQgod6ysAlg

- - - Updated - - -


I wasn't very active with FC once Reach came out, so that's why I'd never seen it. C4D is an awesome program, but my computer can't handle it well at all. Because of the lighting in mine, it took 4.5 hours to render my 5-second clip xD

Same with me... at that time i was running off of a laptop... and a Laptop is not best for something like that... if i put it on my PC though, it may go faster and i may be able to do a little more to it


But i do kinda agree we do need a new one for Halo 4... But make it Halo 4 themed

[VerbotenDonkey]

Deadite should bring his CGI friend to make us an opening. :D

[Sir Nihlus]

Here's a cinematic intro I've been working on, I welcome any and all opinions.


http://youtu.be/HbvOFSUnIRI

I made the intro revolve around the theme of 'urgency' which I believe suits the whole 'being in a war' situation, enjoy.

#Be sure to watch in HD!

[VerbotenDonkey]

Here's a cinematic intro I've been working on, I welcome any and all opinions.


http://youtu.be/HbvOFSUnIRI

I made the intro revolve around the theme of 'urgency' which I believe suits the whole 'being in a war' situation, enjoy.

#Be sure to watch in HD!

I love you Rain ... that was awesome!

[Coda]

Here's a cinematic intro I've been working on, I welcome any and all opinions.


http://youtu.be/HbvOFSUnIRI

I made the intro revolve around the theme of 'urgency' which I believe suits the whole 'being in a war' situation, enjoy.

#Be sure to watch in HD!

That was pretty awesome

[Maxdoggy]

Nice job, Rain. I would suggest adding our actual website instead of our YouTube one (considering they would be watching the video on YouTube).

[Sir Nihlus]

Nice job, Rain. I would suggest adding our actual website instead of our YouTube one (considering they would be watching the video on YouTube).

That's actually a very valid point haha, I shall make a variation of the same intro but with the website link. Thanks for the suggestion :rock:

[Blackhawk570]

I think Rain takes the cake right now :D

[Sir Nihlus]

Here we go, the same intro but with a link to the website as opposed to the YouTube channel:


http://youtu.be/fM4iRrD8rsc

[KazuhLLL]

I think Rain takes the cake right now :D

We shall see. We. Shall. See. >.<

[Deathhawk]

I think the colors need to be more "bold" (The red looks pink and the blue isn't very visible)
Honestly think the music is a little cheesy but it's probably hard to find some that isn't.

Aside from that it's pretty cool.

[Mythonian]

Here we go, the same intro but with a link to the website as opposed to the YouTube channel:


http://youtu.be/fM4iRrD8rsc

Fantastic job.

In addition to what Deathhawk said (and these are all very small things):

At the start, it's pitch black for nearly 1.5 seconds or so. If you could reduce this to like 0.3-0.5 or so, that'd be nice. (just feels like it's starting up very slow and suddenly gets very fast, so I think starting it faster would be better)
The text for the website seems to disappear for about a half second or so after 4 seconds into it. Just seems to randomly do it without a reason.
After the end, if you could continue it another second or so, with the screen black and the music continuing, that'd make transitioning from it to the actual video smoother.


Looking forward to using this in videos. :)

[Link2Halo]

The only thing I can suggest is adding in the Forerunner Conflict Emblem in the background.

[Sir Nihlus]

Fantastic job.

In addition to what Deathhawk said (and these are all very small things):

At the start, it's pitch black for nearly 1.5 seconds or so. If you could reduce this to like 0.3-0.5 or so, that'd be nice. (just feels like it's starting up very slow and suddenly gets very fast, so I think starting it faster would be better)
The text for the website seems to disappear for about a half second or so after 4 seconds into it. Just seems to randomly do it without a reason.
After the end, if you could continue it another second or so, with the screen black and the music continuing, that'd make transitioning from it to the actual video smoother.


Looking forward to using this in videos. :)

Thanks for the feedback! I'll see what I can do in regards to the changes, a more refined version will be up soon.
:beta:

[Salvanous]

I saw this, and I just came a little.... Rain bud, props to you.

[Sir Nihlus]

Here is a more refined version of the cinematic intro:

http://youtu.be/rFbMT8Ojfrs

#Change log:

- Made the start of the video shorter so it now goes straight into motion without a 'slow' build up.
- The words 'Forerunner' and 'Conflict' are now on maximum Red and Blue settings respectively.
- Extended the black screen for 1 second to allow a more smoother transition.
- The link to the website only appears once and stays for the remainder of the video.

#What I could not change:

- I attempted to extend the soundtrack as per Mythonian's request however it generally equaled to the cinematic intro either A) Losing its intended impact or B) It just looked and sounded 'wonky' for a lack of a better word.

#Be sure to watch in HD!

[KazuhLLL]

Does anyone know if the "F" and "C" from our logo is from a font set, or was it a custom font?

[Mythonian]

Excellent job.

By the way, everyone who made an intro: I just gave you guys Machinima ribbons for creating them, as well as a bit of vCash.

If someone else wants to also make another intro (or even Rain make another one): having multiple intros (or outros) is always good, and we'd cycle through them for each video.

[KazuhLLL]

Excellent job.

By the way, everyone who made an intro: I just gave you guys Machinima ribbons for creating them, as well as a bit of vCash.

If someone else wants to also make another intro (or even Rain make another one): having multiple intros (or outros) is always good, and we'd cycle through them for each video.

Cool beans. I'm still working on mine, but it probably wont be done for 2-3 days, between my lack of animating know-how and crazy long render times on my crappy computer. I just finished recreating the FC logo in 3D, if anyone wants a sneak peek:
http://i.imgur.com/Kj5tY.png

[MedeDust]

How pretty :)

[KazuhLLL]

Work-in-progress(watch in 720p!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CHby1AqA4w&feature=youtu.be

If you have any suggestions, that'd be great. Here's a few things I'm already thinking of doing moving forward:

In the next version, I'll try to have the attaching sections do a quick revolution around the center target before attaching, to better show a sense of 3-dimensionality.
Add more keyframes to the attaching pieces, so they'll appear to move more dynamically than they do now.
Attempt to make the transition between the dissolving logo and the appearing text smoother.
Eventually, I'll be adding sounds (although I have little clue what I'll be doing with them). Here's a few ideas though:

"Hammer-on-anvil" type sound when pieces attach to each other.
Possibly a pulse grenade sound when the logo starts to dissolve?
Add various sound effects from the Halo Waypoint Promethean weapons trailer as background noise.
Music?



If you guys think of anything else, let me know. Or if you think the above ideas are stupid and I should quit now, also let me know!

[Lil Nawty Lucia]

My advice stop thinking in 3D, there are better tools for what you are trying to accomplish. I have tried avoiding this topic, because it will base heavily on personal taste. I have to say something since Computer Animation is the Field I am going to College for, and I have Actually bought some of these programs.

If you want to keep going 3d, the first thing I would advise is putting some texture to the FC emblem,it is a little too flat for my taste. You could go a worn war look, or a Realistic Sci-fi. The Animation is nice, watching it be put together seems to flow really well, but you should put a little more time between when it finishes and the Dissolve Effect. It is a tad too fast, and it ruins the flow of the opening.

Personally I don't like the font of any of these openings, I don't see why you guys never use the FC font at the top of the page. It is actually used by FC already and it has a lot more of a Halo-esk feel. You want the Font to fit in but attract your eyes. It is the main focus and you do not, and I repeat Do Not cover it with flashy effects. There is nothing more annoying for some one like me with OCD than a bunch of flashy stuff that distracts me.

Personally I don't like openings, I find them distracting and too flashy, but this is just person preference. I think which ever is used should have a professional feel too it, and not something some random clan makes to make themselves look cool. Be Very Very careful with sound effects. They sound awesome when you make it, and watch it by itself, but if you put it in front of a video it can have very jarring effects.

The Best advice I can give you is look at the 343 Logo, the next time you start up Halo 4. It is fairly simple, quick, and makes your eyes focus on 343. The thing to remember about openings is, they annoy people. Not many enjoy watching them they came for the video. Openings can also do as much harm as good.

I would say Rain Requiem is in the lead, but only because it is more finished. KazuhLLL has more potential, but I would recommend dropping Cinema 4D and picking up Blender 3D. C4D is for projects like the movie Avatar, and it is much like trying to kill an ant with a Shotgun, it can do the job eventually, but there are easier tools. You guys need to keep going you both have some good starts to some really good openings.

[Sir Nihlus]

So, after much tinkering around with effects, I produced a second intro for FC that I like to call "Battle chatter". Unlike the first intro, this one is 2D in design, thus making it fairly simple. This intro unlike the first, is solely for FC's YouTube videos, so as you'll see in the video, the only advertisement would be the FC logo itself. Overall, I am very pleased with how it turned out and I hope you enjoy watching it:


http://youtu.be/Y-fGpZmSETM

I welcome any and all opinions.

#Be sure to watch in HD for best quality!

[Coda]

So, after much tinkering around with effects, I produced a second intro for FC that I like to call "Battle chatter". Unlike the first intro, this one is 2D in design, thus making it fairly simple. This intro unlike the first, is solely for FC's YouTube videos, so as you'll see in the video, the only advertisement would be the FC logo itself. Overall, I am very pleased with how it turned out and I hope you enjoy watching it:


http://youtu.be/Y-fGpZmSETM

I welcome any and all opinions.

#Be sure to watch in HD for best quality!
I like it. I think I prefer the 3D ones better.. but I can definitely see this being an FC intro :) Once again, well done

[Deathhawk]

So, after much tinkering around with effects, I produced a second intro for FC that I like to call "Battle chatter". Unlike the first intro, this one is 2D in design, thus making it fairly simple. This intro unlike the first, is solely for FC's YouTube videos, so as you'll see in the video, the only advertisement would be the FC logo itself. Overall, I am very pleased with how it turned out and I hope you enjoy watching it:


http://youtu.be/Y-fGpZmSETM

I welcome any and all opinions.

#Be sure to watch in HD for best quality!

I don't like it. It's not interesting, sorry :/

Plus the TV effect is pretty obviously Vegas/AE. Like in the way that the blue screen and text is to WMM.

Here's how I think ours should look. Just the begging like, second. (http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/12/03/world/europe/100000001921519/brothel-rescues-soccer-team.html)

Nothing incredibly fancy, but a uniform animation like that. 3D will beat 2D just about every time also

[Coda]

I don't like it. It's not interesting, sorry :/

Plus the TV effect is pretty obviously Vegas/AE. Like in the way that the blue screen and text is to WMM.

Yeah, I sort of agree with that. But I think it would be better if it was less of piano keys, and more static and whatnot. But the concept, I like.

[Sir Nihlus]

I don't like it. It's not interesting, sorry :/

Plus the TV effect is pretty obviously Vegas/AE. Like in the way that the blue screen and text is to WMM.

Here's how I think ours should look. Just the begging like, second. (http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/12/03/world/europe/100000001921519/brothel-rescues-soccer-team.html)

Nothing incredibly fancy, but a uniform animation like that. 3D will beat 2D just about every time also

I welcome the insightful (and albeit critical) criticism, for the intro, I was going for the whole 'war-time-no-communication' theme and I thought the TV effect despite being obvious (which I don't understand if that's necessarily a bad thing?) fit it quite nicely. Nothing wrong with variation of 2-D and 3-D if it's built for purpose though; I wasn't going for anything fancy this time around.

EDIT: Also, could you elaborate on 'not interesting' as I found the statement quite vague, what exactly made it uninteresting?

[Deathhawk]

I welcome the insightful (and albeit critical) criticism, for the intro, I was going for the whole 'war-time-no-communication' theme and I thought the TV effect despite being obvious (which I don't understand if that's necessarily a bad thing?) fit it quite nicely. Nothing wrong with variation of 2-D and 3-D if it's built for purpose though; I wasn't going for anything fancy this time around.

EDIT: Also, could you elaborate on 'not interesting' as I found the statement quite vague, what exactly made it uninteresting?

Yeah, lemme explain.

The problem with it being obvious is that it looks less professional. Of course we want it to be as unique as possible and present our own intro that's unique and high quality. (Or fits the form of the standard, which in this case would be an HD complex 3D model and why I said that 3D > 2D)

Let me ask you this, why does the TV effect express the motif of urgency and war? You could put that effect on a number of different intros for totally different things and it would be the same. Urgency I can kinda see, but I don't get any "war" from it.
I understand that the audio provides that, but it should be a dual effort. (Side note, the piano's tone implies a story [emotion] which isn't what we're about with those videos.)

I know ya weren't trying to do anything big with that clip. It's definitely a process to perfect it, and doing things just to try it is a great way to get there. This one was just a miss imo.

EDIT: Oh, and the interesting part. It just didn't capture my attention, simple as that.
It wasn't bad. I think it was fairly decently made, but I don't think it's suitable, at least yet. Maybe with some revisions it would be, who knows!

[Sir Nihlus]

Yeah, lemme explain.

The problem with it being obvious is that it looks less professional. Of course we want it to be as unique as possible and present our own intro that's unique and high quality. (Or fits the form of the standard, which in this case would be an HD complex 3D model and why I said that 3D > 2D)

Let me ask you this, why does the TV effect express the motif of urgency and war? You could put that effect on a number of different intros for totally different things and it would be the same. Urgency I can kinda see, but I don't get any "war" from it.

I know ya weren't trying to do anything big with that clip. It's definitely a process to perfect it, and doing things just to try it is a great way to get there. This one was just a miss imo.

Ah right, (thanks for elaborating) to answer your question on why I chose that particular effect, it was because generally in a war zone, technology such as the TV, radio etc is and can be disrupted; that was where I was going with the intro's concept.

EDIT: @interestingpart. Ah okay, thanks for sharing your opinion.

[Deathhawk]

Ah right, (thanks for elaborating) to answer your question on why I chose that particular effect, it was because generally in a war zone, technology such as the TV, radio etc is and can be disrupted; that was where I was going with the intro's concept.

EDIT: @interestingpart. Ah okay, thanks for sharing your opinion.

Not a bad thought. But let's breakdown the focus further.

Traits that FC expresses
-War
-Fighting
-Military Feel
-Camaraderie
-Belonging via Halo
-Communication
-Trust
-Respect

Traits we have that are attractive for recruiting
-Large Scale
-Well-Developed
-Organized
-Camaraderie
-Belonging via Halo
-Military Feel
-Respect

That's a short list, but if you look at that, you can see that your theme doesn't make 100% sense.
It fits, but it's not snug.

It might seem like I'm being particular (I am) but an intro needs to be as representative as possible, and do it simply and elegantly. If you can express those aspects in under 5 seconds of simple video, then you have a fantastic intro that people will love. It also might seem insignificant, but first impressions are huge and it's obviously the first thing people see.


TL; DR Be perfect :)

[Sir Nihlus]

Not a bad thought. But let's breakdown the focus further.

Traits that FC expresses
-War
-Fighting
-Military Feel
-Camaraderie
-Belonging via Halo
-Communication
-Trust
-Respect

Traits we have that are attractive for recruiting
-Large Scale
-Well-Developed
-Organized
-Camaraderie
-Belonging via Halo
-Military Feel
-Respect

That's a short list, but if you look at that, you can see that your theme doesn't make 100% sense.
It fits, but it's not snug.

It might seem like I'm being particular (I am) but an intro needs to be as representative as possible, and do it simply and elegantly.

TL; DR Be perfect :)

Ah I see what you mean, I appreciate the insight though; looking at the shortlist, my intro takes bits and pieces.

[Jam Cliché]

I like Kaz's. Needs to be blended more with the theme of the site, though. Someone mentioned using the font at the site header logo. I'd go for that. Also, some detail could be given to the FC logo in the form of some outline shading, maybe even an inlet cut on the shapes. Throw in some impact noises as the logo comes together then a quarter second delay before it disintegrates, and you've got some short, sweet, and eye-catching.

That's just me though.

[VerbotenDonkey]

Rain, I like the battlechatter ones style, however the "Forerunner Conflict" text seems out of place. Like it's too simplistic or something. It doesn't blend well. But I like the style you have with the battle chatter, that sounds awesome! I'm a fan of that. However, I'd blend the "FC" into the background like the image is, kind of faded and stuck with the flickering screen. I'd keep the text like that too. I'm more a fan of your cinematic one though.

Kaz, yours is good too, however ... the shatter effect doesn't match the text coming after it. I don't know how to explain it, something just catches my eye when it changes. It's a bit too .. cartoony though? Not sure if that's the word i'm looking for.

[Sir Nihlus]

Rain, I like the battlechatter ones style, however the "Forerunner Conflict" text seems out of place. Like it's too simplistic or something. It doesn't blend well. But I like the style you have with the battle chatter, that sounds awesome! I'm a fan of that. However, I'd blend the "FC" into the background like the image is, kind of faded and stuck with the flickering screen. I'd keep the text like that too. I'm more a fan of your cinematic one though.

Kaz, yours is good too, however ... the shatter effect doesn't match the text coming after it. I don't know how to explain it, something just catches my eye when it changes. It's a bit too .. cartoony though? Not sure if that's the word i'm looking for.

Thanks for the feedback man; it's greatly appreciated. I'm determined to make this intro better and I'm working on it as I type this post; I'm not giving up on it just yet.

[Sir Nihlus]

I have made several changes to the intro, in the hopes of it becoming more suitable. Enjoy:

BEFORE:

http://youtu.be/Y-fGpZmSETM

AFTER:


http://youtu.be/CxZ9sdZ-VBg

I hope the newest version is at least an improvement from the first; any and all constructive criticism is welcome.

#Be sure to watch in HD for best quality.

[VerbotenDonkey]

I have made several changes to the intro, in the hopes of it becoming more suitable. Enjoy:

BEFORE:

http://youtu.be/Y-fGpZmSETM

AFTER:


http://youtu.be/CxZ9sdZ-VBg

I hope the newest version is at least an improvement from the first; any and all constructive criticism is welcome.

#Be sure to watch in HD for best quality.

It's definitely better! I forgot to mention before, it does look like the text is not centered. Like the r in Forerunner is running into the logo. Like it needs to be scaled back a bit to center the text properly. Also, still not a fan of that text. Looks too flat, not overly professional like the rest of it. Makes it stick out. Overall though, definitely looks good! Fits FC well.

[Lil Nawty Lucia]

What Verboten said is true, the text is the main focus it tells the view who we are. Go for a Halo-esk font not, THE Halo font. That is just a tip to avoid being a little cheesy. The biggest problem so far is the fact everything is at a different contrast. The Emblem is a bit blurry, the FC is sharp and stands out, and the Text blends in with the background on top of being covered by the TV screen effect. So I would say put the TV screen effect in the background. That way the background is simple but not plain and it, and will focus your eye to the text and FC emblem. Since those will not be distorted. The choice of music is better, but its still more of an emotional piece. For good music you might have to look beyond Halo. I would look for something similar to the Battlefield 3 opening but with a bit more sci-fi sound. You have to put as much effort into the Audio as you did everything else totaled, so you might not get away with a copy and paste.

Just out of curiosity who made the FC logo and emblem, and what font was used. I'll redraw it by hand if I have too.

[Sir Nihlus]

Here is V3 of my "Battle Chatter" intro:


http://youtu.be/PA2l0Dc2SkQ

#Changelog:

- Changed the font.
- Re-positioned the text.
- Re-positioned the logo.
- Removed "TV Effect" from the text and logo.
- Replaced the soundtrack with a more dynamic sounding piece.

Hopefully with these changes, this version sees more light than beef (haha) than the previous versions but regardless, I welcome any and all constructive criticism as I fully believe this intro could work; it just needs a bump in the right direction.
:beta:

#As always, watch in HD for best quality.

[VerbotenDonkey]

Hahaha I actually liked the previous soundtrack better xD Other than that man, that's almost perfect in my eyes. I love it.

[Link2Halo]

I have to agree with Verboten the last one's soundtrack was better.

[VerbotenDonkey]

It's not so much the soundtrack as the radio-guys stuff. I didn't like the sniper bit added at the end. I just liked the deep baritone drone of that guys voice. Meh, that's just personal taste though haha.

[Vestige]

Needs a better background, I think something like a file opening would be really neat. I really like the work, and audio. I wish I was able to do stuff like that, anyways thats just me.